Burt Bacharach: The popfather -/After a tragic start to his year, legendary tunesmith Burt Bacharach is finally coming to Auckland to play his pop classics. - It's inevitable really. You get the warning from the star's people about no questions about his personal life. But once in interview, it's hard to get the star off his personal life and back on to what made him a star. That's what happens when Burt Bacharach, God of timeless sophisticated pop, comes on the line for our 20-minute interview. The chat starts with a gentle enough inquiry. One about what keeps the man - whose timeless 1960s hits with lyricist Hal David made them second only to Lennon and McCartney as last century's greatest songwriting partnership - still touring. Almost immediately the gravelly voiced Bacharach is addressing the tragic reason why his Auckland concert was postponed earlier this year - his eldest daughter Nikki by second wife Angie Dickinson committed suicide, having struggled all her life with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.

Children’s antipsychotic drug use scrutinised -  A world-first nationwide study of children’s treatment with “atypical antipsychotic” drugs is providing new insights into why they are being prescribed and what adverse reactions can result.  The Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme (IMMP) study investigated the safety and use of the drugs in all under-16-year-olds in New Zealand prescribed them between April and July in 2003. Adverse reactions in the children were monitored until the end of November 2004 and doctors were surveyed on what particular diagnoses and symptoms prompted the prescriptions. Co-author Dr Mira Harrison-Woolrych says this is the first study anywhere to paint a comprehensive, real-life picture of how the increasingly-prescribed second-generation antipsychotics are being used in children. Their findings appear in the latest edition of the international journal, Drug Safety.

Dad's plea for help with autistic son / TEARS filled Wally Hannam'seyes yesterday as he described watching his autistic teenage son ``pacing like a caged animal'' in Geelong's Swanston Centre. - The Belmont father said his 16-year-old son Chris had been in the psychiatric care centre for two weeks, after he began hallucinating and became agitated. But he said his much-loved teenage child did not belong in a facility designed to provide acute psychiatric care for adults. ``It's so inappropriate for Chris to be there,'' Mr Hannam said yesterday, ``But he's stuck there. `He's been there now for 13 nights.'' Mr Hannam is campaigning to have Chris moved to a facility for young people, where medical staff were used to caring for people with autism. He was horrified to learn there wasn't a bed available anywhere in Victoria in a facility that could provide for Chris' needs _ his autism and his mental illness.   `The seclusion room where he is at now is driving him out of his skull, because he's locked up,'' he said, ``He doesn't understand. ``With autism, you need structure, you need routine, you need quiet.  `But yesterday, there were patients in there hitting the walls, banging to doors, screaming. `It's an appalling situation.''

Dark side to shots - IIs there is a dark side to immunization -- what would they be?  If the immunizations were so wonderful and safe, why would the manufacturers of immunizations want total immunity against lawsuits-which they have consistently requested from Congress and received.  This is the first cause for suspicion that the immunizations aren't safe or why would they need to be totally protected from lawsuits? These immunizations are a total profit to the big pharmaceutical companies.  There are 33 doses of nine different vaccines that our children are requested to take before attending school. There have been no studies done to address the issue of multiple dose affects on the babies or infants that are taking them.  A new privately-funded survey finds vaccinated U.S. children have a significantly higher risk of neurological disorders -- including autism -- than unvaccinated children; 2.5 times higher for vaccinated boys between the ages of 4-17.

Easing The Autism Stigma - When Matthew Nadler sang his bar mitzvah portion, the Hebrew rang clearly through the air and no one in the sanctuary could keep from crying. Matthew stood on the bima, confident, pitch-perfect and proud, “a real mensch,” as his father, Allen, later described him.  But after the service, Matthew and his family didn’t adjourn to the typical party full of teenage friends and food.  Matthew has autism and, now 15, looks much younger. Though the handsome, blue-eyed teen is quick to pick up a dropped pencil, offer a drink or say “thank you,” he has trouble making eye contact, conversing or fitting into many social situations, and as a result finds it difficult to make friends with peers his age. For Matthew’s parents, the shock of his diagnosis quickly turned to education for themselves and their son. They found the best services and became advocates for autistic children, ultimately, accepting Matthew’s limitations while embracing the joy he brings them.  “Like a poker game, this is the hand I was dealt,” says Allen Nadler of his son’s autism. “But unlike a poker game where I could fold my hand, this is a hand I have to play.” Matthew Nadler is part of a rapidly growing population in the New York metropolitan area and throughout the country with autism, a diagnosis that has been exploding in recent years and is estimated to affect approximately 1 in 150 children in the United States today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Family wins plea for fence variance - Seven-year-old Molly St. Claire soon will be able to safely play in her own backyard. Molly has severe autism, which prompted her parents to ask the village earlier this year to bend its rules restricting installation of fences. After listening to their story, the village board decided this week to do just that. The St. Claire family has a playset in the backyard of their Hilltop Lane home. However, without a fence to ensure that she does not wander off the property and onto a nearby three-way intersection, Molly has not been able to really enjoy the playset or explore the backyard. Village ordinances allow fences only around swimming pools, dog runs, patios or decks. In 1998, the board approved a barrier-type fence in the rear yards of homes that abut Randall Road.

Gene Identified For Crohn's Disease In Children - Pediatrics researchers have identified a gene variant that raises a child's risk of Crohn's disease, a chronic and painful condition attributed to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The research reinforces previous results by German researchers, who found the same gene variant associated with the adult form of Crohn's disease. Researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and The University of Pennsylvania reported their results in a letter in the August issue of the journal Gut.  "Because Crohn's disease is complex, with multiple genes interacting with each other and with environmental factors, it's important to sort out specific genes and to replicate previous findings," said the study's first author, Robert N. Baldassano, M.D., director of the Center for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Children's Hospital. "There are different types of Crohn's disease, so classifying types by genetic profiles may help us select the most appropriate treatments for each patient."  The study compared the genomes of 143 children with Crohn's disease to genomes of 282 matched control subjects. The study team found that 64 percent of children with Crohn's disease had a specific variant form of the gene ATG16L1, compared with 52 percent of the healthy children. The odds ratio for children with the gene variant was 1.62 compared to control children, meaning that those who have the variant were 62 percent more likely to have Crohn's disease than children with the more common allele. A separate test that analyzed trios (a Crohn's patient and both parents) also found an association between the ATG16L1 gene variant and disease symptoms. This finding strengthened the results of the pediatric case-control study.

Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance - Eleven years ago, when Elaine Hall adopted a toddler boy from a Russian orphanage, she didn't know anything about autism. Today, she is in the vanguard of helping children with this increasingly widespread condition--known for derailing the ability to communicate--find unprecedented ways to emote and connect through the performing arts.  The Miracle Project, launched by Hall just three years ago, is already making headlines. An award-winning documentary about the program, 'Autism: The Musical,' premiered last spring at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. It follows the lives of five autistic kids and their families, including Hall and her son, Neal, now 13, throughout the staging of a 'Miracle Project' production. HBO acquired the film and plans to air it next year after a limited run in theatres.  'I always believed in the potential for this program but our initial workshop was truly a 'leap of faith,'' says Hall, who lives in Santa Monica. Many of her students and volunteers are residents of Pacific Palisades.

It's Like This... Autism And Vaccines - I am the queen of analogies. It's part of my writing and speaking style. If you ask me for directions I'll tell you to "Take a left at the elementary school that looks like a prison." When an email acquaintance asks what I look like I'll say, "My hair is like snakes, my eyes are the size of dinner plates, and I'm as curvy as a Q-tip.Yesterday, though, I met my match. I have a new job editing a site for autism news. And one of our writers sent me a post that just blew me away. You can read it here. Nancy Hokkanen came up with one of the greatest analogies ever to describe the autism and vaccine controversy and how it feels to us parents of kids with autism. She compared it to the Catholic Church's cover up of decades of sexual abuse.

‘I worried about bills and feeding my children – not life in my 60s’ - At the age of 52, Carolynn Cruickshank-Gray is pacing her work commitments carefully so that she doesn't burn out in the next 15 years. She will be among the first group of women - those born after April 6, 1955 - who will have to work until the age of 65 before becoming eligible for a state pension. In fact, she expects to be working well beyond the age of 65 to make ends meet. The only private pension provision she has is a total of about £5000 in the pension funds of two small companies where she worked for a couple of years. That is no comfort: quite the opposite. "My big fear is that if I should be on my own in my old age, this tiny pension will have the effect of taking me just above benefit levels," she says from her home in Lochgelly, which is the base for her contract work.

Misconduct hearing starts in Britain - Uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine plummeted in Britain after doctor and researcher Andrew Wakefield suggested in 1998 that it could be linked to autism —suggestion that made huge waves in the media and with the public. Subsequent studies have ruled out a link between MMR and autism, and the majority of medical opinion now firmly rejects Wakefield's hypothesis. This week, Wakefield stands before a hearing at the General Medical Council (GMC) — the body that regulates doctors in the United Kingdom.- Uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine plummeted in Britain after doctor and researcher Andrew Wakefield suggested in 1998 that it could be linked to autism — a suggestion that made huge waves in the media and with the public. Subsequent studies have ruled out a link between MMR and autism, and the majority of medical opinion now firmly rejects Wakefield's hypothesis. This week, Wakefield stands before a hearing at the General Medical Council (GMC) — the body that regulates doctors in the United Kingdom. Who is being charged with what? a

MMR doctor ‘not paediatrically qualified’MMR doctor ‘not paediatrically qualified’ - Vulnerable children were subjected to “inappropriate and invasive” tests by doctors who were in breach of “some of the most fundamental rules in medicine”, a hearing was told yesterday.  Dr Andrew Wakefield, who sparked the MMR controversy, did not have paediatric qualifications and had not worked as a clinical doctor for several years when he ordered the tests, the General Medical Council’s fitness to practice panel was told.  His role was as a research doctor and he had no right to investigate the children, who did not undergo proper neurological or psychiatric assessments beforehand, it heard.

NDP outraged over McGuinty's $2.4 million broken promise - NDP MPP Shelley Martel is outraged that the McGuinty government spent $2.4 million on lawyers to fight parents of children with autism in court, instead of providing IBI treatment that Dalton McGuinty
promised them. "It's scandalous that Dalton McGuinty squandered $2.4 million of public money on lawyers in a cynical attempt to break an election promise made to children with autism. That money could have funded IBI treatment for 50 children for a year," said Martel. Martel said Dalton McGuinty should never have dragged parents and their vulnerable children through the courts, at great expense to the public and the families, just so he could break a promise. "It's appalling that Dalton McGuinty's priority was to waste millions of dollars of public money fighting parents in court, instead of providing children with autism with the treatment they needed," said Martel.

Patient's brother sues company that managed Oakwood - A Kentucky man is suing the company that formerly managed the Communities at Oakwood, saying that the company failed to protect his disabled brother who sustained multiple injuries, including a broken nose, at the facility. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Frankfort, alleges that, for more than a year, Tim Cox, 29, who suffers from autism and other disorders, was beaten and restrained on multiple occasions at the Somerset facility. This is the third lawsuit filed in federal court against Liberty Healthcare that accuses the company of failing to stop ongoing abuse of residents at Oakwood, the state's largest home for the mentally disabled. Liberty oversaw management of Oakwood from November 2005 to November 2006.

Pesticides and Schools: a "Tragic" Health Hazard - Pesticides in schools are a pervasive, unnecessary health hazard, said Marc Lame, an entomologist and professor in Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. "Over 80 percent of schools in America are applying pesticides on a regular basis, whether they have a pest problem or not," he said. "This is tragic not only because of the well-documented link between pesticides and health problems in children, such as asthma and neurological disorders, but also because pesticides generally do not work in a preventive manner in the school environment. Applying pesticides does not prevent pests from coming in, so using them when pests are not present does nothing other than expose children and staff to toxic chemicals."* Background: The most widely used insecticides are nerve poisons, which cause nerves to fire in an uncontrolled manner and disrupt endocrine (hormone) systems, Lame said. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals can result in similar effects on the human nervous system, with symptoms ranging from vomiting to severe breathing problems. Although research is limited, these endocrine disrupting pesticides are suspected in problems ranging from ADHD to autism to infertility, Lame said. Exposure during childhood carries the greatest risk. "The thing to remember is that it is not just a question of children being smaller than adults and getting more exposure pound-for-pound. The even more serious issue is that their nervous systems are still developing, so they are especially susceptible to nerve poisons," he said. * Solution: Lame said pest problems are better managed with an integrated approach that involves recognition and remediation of conditions that attract pests or allow pests to enter facilities. "It's common sense pro-action rather than toxic reaction," he said. Lame serves as a consultant for schools and environmental health agencies around the country, helping them implement such programs through a process known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). He is also the author of a book on pest management in schools, A Worm in the Teacher's Apple: Protecting America's School Children from Pests and Pesticides (Authorhouse, 2005).

Pitt Psychologist Explores Early Indicators for Autism in Infants - Researchers have proven that babies who have an older sibling with autism have an elevated risk of developing an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) themselves. Now, University of Pittsburgh associate professor of psychology Jana Iverson is looking for early identifiers for ASD in babies younger than age two who have an older sibling with autism. She will be looking at patterns of vocal, motor, and communicative skills and how they may vary in infants with ASD over a five-year period. “We currently lack reliable methods for diagnosing autism spectrum disorders in children younger than two years of age,” says Iverson. “Our goal is to distinguish prospectively between infants eventually diagnosed with ASD, infants eventually diagnosed with other developmental delays but not ASD, and those with no apparent ASD symptoms.” Armed with a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, Iverson is recruiting 150 babies for the study, in which she will audio- and videotape the babies at their homes. This differs from previous methods of viewing parents' home movies or relying on their personal memories. Iverson's one-hour home visits, in which she enlists the assistance of Pitt undergraduate psychology majors, are convenient for the families and allow the baby to be more comfortable. The researchers will study each infant every month from the ages of 5 to 14 months, then again at 18, 24, and 36 months. The parents are given a baby book in which to document observations.

Potential dangers of Ritalin / Use of the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug Ritalin by young children may cause long-term changes in the developing brain, suggests a new study of very young rats by a research team at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.  - The study is among the first to probe the effects of Ritalin (methylphenidate) on the neurochemistry of the developing brain. Between 2 to18 percent of American children are thought to be affected by ADHD, and Ritalin, a stimulant similar to amphetamine and cocaine, remains one of the most prescribed drugs for the behavioral disorder. "The changes we saw in the brains of treated rats occurred in areas strongly linked to higher executive functioning, addiction and appetite, social relationships and stress. These alterations gradually disappeared over time once the rats no longer received the drug," notes the study's senior author Dr. Teresa Milner, professor of neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College. The findings, specially highlighted in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggest that doctors must be very careful in their diagnosis of ADHD before prescribing Ritalin. That's because the brain changes noted in the study might be helpful in battling the disorder but harmful if given to youngsters with healthy brain chemistry, Dr. Milner says.  In the study, week-old male rat pups were given injections of Ritalin twice a day during their more physically active nighttime phase. The rats continued receiving the injections up until they were 35 days old. "Relative to human lifespan, this would correspond to very early stages of brain development," explains Jason Gray, a graduate student in the Program of Neuroscience and lead author of the study. "That's earlier than the age at which most children now receive Ritalin, although there are clinical studies underway that are testing the drug in 2- and 3-year olds."

The Age of Autism: The last word - This is my 113th and final Age of Autism column. UPI, which has been the hospitable home for this series, is restructuring, and I'm off to adventures as yet unknown -- although I intend to keep my focus on autism and related issues.  Why? Because it is the story of a lifetime. Autism is currently, in our view, the most important and the fastest-evolving disorder in all of medical science and promises to remain so for the foreseeable future," says Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman, chairman of the department of psychiatry at Columbia University's school of medicine. Most mainstream experts believe autism is a genetic disorder that's "increasing" only because of more sophisticated diagnoses. But based on my own reporting, I think autism is soaring due to environmental factors -- in the sense of something coming from the outside in -- and that genes play a mostly secondary role, perhaps creating a susceptibility to toxic exposures in certain children. As the saying goes: Genes load the gun, environment pulls the trigger. So to me, the issues autism raises -- about the health and well-being of this and future generations, about the role that planetary pollution, chemical inventions and medical interventions may have inadvertently played in triggering it -- are so fundamental that by looking at autism, we are looking very deeply into the kind of world we want to inhabit and our children to inherit. It is impossible to summarize all the issues I have raised in my columns, but to me, four stand out:...

The MMR story that wasn't / Whatever you think about Andrew Wakefield, the real villains of the MMR scandal are the media. - Whatever you think about Andrew Wakefield, the real villains of the MMR scandal are the media. Just one week before his GMC hearing, yet another factless "MMR causes autism" news story appeared: and even though it ran on the front page of our very own Observer, I am dismantling it on this page. We're all grown-ups around here. The story made three key points: that new research has found an increase in the prevalence of autism to one in 58; that the lead academic on this study was so concerned he suggested raising the finding with public heath officials; and that two "leading researchers" on the team believe that the rise was due to MMR. Within a week the story had been recycled in several national newspapers, and the news pages of at least one academic journal.

Those in the know are on the ropes - Last week a phrase dropped from the lips of a Brownite minister that we have not heard for a long while: "public service ethic". Tony Blair, when prime minister, was not a great believer in the idea that people working in government had a vocation or higher calling. His successor - witness the emollient language used by new ministers Alan Johnson and Ed Balls about clinicians and teachers respectively - hews to a different line The trouble is, the notion of altruistic or "knightly" behaviour has been unfashionable for so long that it has become as rusty as a suit of armour in a damp dungeon, and may need quite a lot of buffing and oiling to make it shine again. It may require Gordon Brown to start saying something deeply unfashionable: that public service professionals need power, respect and, whisper it, a measure of deference. John Healey, the minister for local government, shaping up as one of the brighter sparks of the Brown circle, was talking ethos at the launch of a new pamphlet from Demos entitled Unlocking Innovation. The thinktank's essayists argue that it is not enough to listen to the people, people have to be actively involved in designing services. Professionals make way. In the Demos world, everything should be geared towards "innovation". It says there is an untapped reservoir of new ideas and new ways of working in the experience of users but also that there is a huge thirst among public service professionals to refashion the way they work.

Tuning in & out-by the genes - People who can't follow a movie when someone else is talking can blame their genes. The ability--or inability--to listen to more than one thing at once is largely inherited, according to a study of twins. The finding could help scientists better understand disorders that involve problems in auditory processing. "This is the first study to show that [normal] people vary widely in their ability to process what they hear, and these differences are due largely to heredity," NIDCD director James Battey said in a statement. That's important, says Deborah Moncrieff, an audiologist at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, because skeptics had questioned attributing difficulties in listening, learning, and reading to problems in the auditory pathway. Moncrieff has developed a method for training children to strengthen the transmission of signals from the ear to the speech center of the brain.  To some extent, this reminds me of face blindness, or variations in taste sensitivity within families. There is an a priori assumption that other human beings are a reflection of ourselves, so it sometimes "surprises" us that people are different from each other. The existence of cryptic heritable variation in behavior and subtle sensory differences are, I suspect, going to be one of the "big stories" in human biology in the near future. Consider for example that not only is color blindness more prevalent in males (because of sex-linked effects), but a large proportion of women have a more fine grained and diverse set of colors which they perceive because of their genetic inheritance. Not only might this explain the inability of some men to "get it" in the eyes of their partners when it comes to good taste in tone and tint, but offers the possibility, often discussed in philosophy, that humans might perceive the world of similar names very differently indeed.

On Politics, Practicality, and Priorities - While the idea of saving lives in general is neither new nor remarkable, the idea of saving the lives of people 100, 110, 120, and even older is often considered to be radical at best. And while there are indeed various technical and practical challenges to achieving effective health care for people who are nearing (or in) the triple-digits, the existence of political challenges is somewhat confounding.  What makes someone’s impending death less of an emergency when they are ninety than when they are nine? If you were told that someone was dying and you didn’t know how old they were, would it even occur to you to ask, with the intent of using their age to decide whether they were worth trying to save or not? Most likely, it wouldn’t. If you can understand that age should not matter as a variable in terms of whether someone’s life ought to be saved, you have grasped the philosophical underpinnings of life extension. Because that’s all life extension advocacy is, really—a recognition of the fact that effective health care must be capable of saving a person’s life in order to earn the “effective” designation, and that older people deserve effective health care as much as younger people do. I am all in favor of keeping the definition of “health” expansive and pluralistically aware so as to avoid the emergence of coercive medical paternalism, but there is no definition of health I can possibly imagine that includes the state in which a person is literally dying*.

Science Is Not a Democracy - This piece originally appeared in the Washington Times on June 15, 2007: Scientists years ago dismissed the alleged causal link between childhood vaccinations and autism. But a large and vocal group of advocates are nonetheless convinced that there is a cause and effect relationship. For them and their lawyers, science is irrelevant. Their last hope for vindication: a court of law that they hope might establish-legally, not scientifically-that vaccines do indeed pose a risk of autism and other ailments. The science demonstrating the lack of a link between children's vaccines and autism has been validated, over and over again, during the past decade. Studies confirm that autism is no more common among children who received vaccinations than among those who did not. Further, the incidence of autism has continued to rise despite the elimination of mercury from vaccines. Yet this month, despite these facts and reams of other data, the first of thousands of legal cases on this same subject began in a special "vaccine court"-actually the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. One leading advocate of a vaccine-autism link was quoted as saying these proceedings "will mark the first time ever that evidence of autistic harm [sic] from childhood vaccines is examined and cross-examined in a court of law."

Shot in the arm - After the upcoming flu season, the state will not be distributing adult flu vaccines to county health departments, but officials note this should not cause much change in current procedure. “It’s something we’ve been discussing for several years, including with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), our grantor,” said Jeff Neccuzi, program director for the Bureau of Public Health, Immunization Program. Cyndee Kiger, director of nursing for the Marion County Health Department, said no one would be turned away for inability to pay, but that this year, donations will be requested from those seeking the flu shot.

Teens show a gift for caring for special needs children - - Best friends Kaitlyn Dirkes and Katie Kloes can giggle and goof like any 15-year-old girls. "These teenagers could be at the beach or at the mall," said Sonia Wetzel. "But they choose to spend their summer days with kids who really need them." Wetzel's son Braeden, 6, has a neurological disorder and attends Camp Prov, where Kaitlyn and Katie are veteran volunteers. Staged at Forest Park and run by Providence Everett Medical Center, the five-week day camp provides activities and care for children with physical and developmental special needs. The camp also serves as a respite for parents and siblings who need a little break. "Camp Prov is fun for us, but it helps whole families," Kaitlyn said.

Two articles on Wakefield and Anti-vax denialism - Two Guardian articles appear today on Andrew Wakefield and his associates. The first is a discussion of his unethical and invasive methods used in his now-debunked study that purported to show a link between autism and the MMR vaccine. Vulnerable children were subjected to "inappropriate and invasive" tests by a doctor who prompted one of the biggest health controversies of the past 10 years, it was alleged today. Andrew Wakefield, who linked the MMR vaccine to autism, was described at a General Medical Council (GMC) fitness panel as having breached "some of the most fundamental rules of medicine".

Vaccines and autism controversy reignites - The British doctor who sparked world-wide health concerns about childhood vaccines The British doctor who sparked world-wide health concerns about childhood vaccines and autism is facing charges of professional misconduct regarding that study. Dr. Andrew Wakefield first raised doubts about the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in 1998. A hearing that began Monday in England will determine his fitness to practice because he allegedly violated medical ethics in now that famous study. The hearing has reignited a volatile debate between health experts and parents of autistic children. Seven-year-old Nick Flores speaks mostly gibberish, but he can sing entire show tunes. His six-year old brother, Sam, said his first word a few months ago. "Sam is very quiet," their mother, Alex Flores, said. "Sam eats all the time."

With autism on increase, educators seek new tools - Today, teachers are more likely than ever to deal with children with autism. And so educators from six area school divisions converged Tuesday at Blue Ridge Community College to talk about effective teaching strategies.With a growing incidence of the disorder — which now affects one in 150 children in the United States — organizers said it's more important than ever to ensure teachers and instructional assistants receive research-based training in how to help children with autism.  "We want to make sure all teachers are trained to use assessments to recognize children with autism spectrum disorders and to provide good, research-based instruction," said Judy Sorrell, director of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Program, which sponsored the training. The regional program is supported by six area school divisions, including Staunton and Augusta County. Waynesboro does not participate.

Women in hijabs 'need sunlight or risk illness' - Muslim women who wear the hijab are at risk of serious illness because they do not get enough sun, doctors have warned.  They said an alarming number of women who cover their skin are suffering bone deficiencies over a lack of vitamin D.  Most of the body's vitamin D - which prevents rickets - is obtained through sunlight acting on the skin. Only a little comes from food.  Doctors told a London conference today that people with dark pigment are at risk because of "cultural reasons" and because they are less efficient at producing the vitamin.  The bone disorder rickets has now broken out in young Muslim children as babies are not getting enough calcium from mothers' breast milk.  The National Health Service is launching a campaign aimed at Muslim women, particularly Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Somalis, to encourage them to increase their vitamin D intake.

13-Year Old Wrestling Talk Show Expert Breaking Down Barriers for ... -  13-year old wrestling expert, host of Al's Wrestling  Talk making a difference for kids with autism. He was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a high functioning form of autism when he was six. Alex wants the public to know that early diagnosis and intervention is crucial Alex wants people to know all kids are individuals with unique gifts and talents that need to be discovered. Big Al was selected to be spokesperson of Wrestling Autism, a fundraising event for National Autism Association and shares information about autism on the radio show.  Alex is no stranger to raising awareness for autism as he has been a voice for others with autism since he was six years old telling kids to focus on their gifts and talents. Many individuals with ASD think there is too much focus on the negative and not on the positive aspects of having Autism Spectrum Disorder. While Alex knows that every person on the autism spectrum has challenges, he wants the public to know that kids and adults with AS can succeed at whatever they put their mind to. It is important to get early diagnosis and services which does make a huge difference.

Autism Diagnosis Can Be Made at an Earlier Age - About half of children who develop autism may be diagnosable by 14 months of age, researchers found in a small study that dropped the bar for early diagnosis by six months. Action Points Explain to interested patients that this study adds to the evidence that autism can be diagnosed early in childhood, opening opportunities for early intervention.  Caution patients that further study is needed to develop and validate autism diagnostic tools and criteria for children younger than two  Toddlers diagnosed early also appeared to have a different developmental trajectory than those with a later diagnosis, reported Rebecca J. Landa, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins, and colleagues in the July issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.  These differences "highlight the need for early intervention and for these programs to robustly target social affective, social cognitive, and communication development in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder," they wrote.  A few retrospective studies have

Autism in Court - VERY LITTLE is known about autism, what causes it and exactly what it means biologically or neurologically. The disorder, characterized by impaired social, emotional and communications skills, is still diagnosed by clinical observations rather than physiological tests. The observable symptoms of autism usually appear around age 2 or 3 -- the same age when children often receive vaccines. This week a special court began hearing the first of nine test cases claiming that such timing is not a coincidence, and the litigation could spell trouble for children nationwide. The nine cases may have implications for 4,800 similar pending cases, most of which were filed by family members who attribute their children's autism to a mercury-containing vaccine preservative called thimerosal, to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR, which does not contain thimerosal) or to a combination of thimerosal and MMR. To date, no major studies have shown any connection between vaccines and autism, and the Institute of Medicine has rejected any causal relationship.

Autism in the Family - I was surprised that the first eight sections focused on the main problems for a child with autism, with little reference to the positive characteristics associated with a differently wired brain, writes Beth Billington.  However, there is a positive emphasis on working out why difficulties present and on interaction, rather than just on behaviour management. My main concern is that the book uses technical language that is not fully explained, although the authors do suggest that the book is used as a joint resource for professionals and families working together. I like the thinking behind the book, and can see the value in a resource with very few words as a basis for discussion. I do, however, worry that the terms used would not be readily understood by non-professionals.

Autism joins the campaign trail - Premier Bob Rae's re-election bid was dogged by social-contract-hating protesters.  Giant flip-flops followed Liberal Lyn McLeod around during the 1995 campaign to spotlight same-sex rights.  Mike Harris was swarmed by Kraft Dinner-throwing poverty protesters in 1999.  Now, Premier Dalton McGuinty can expect to find his election steps haunted by a group of parents who intend to make autism front and centre in the coming provincial campaign, which gets officially underway on Sept. 10.  Richmond Hill's Taline Sagharian, the mother of a 10-year-old son, told Sun Media this week that this new group is determined to play a "very strong" advocacy role in the election, bringing the issue directly to the politicians on the hustings.

Autism: the truth /As the leaked and incomplete results of a study on autism again raise fears among parents, the scientist leading the research tells our correspondent that the new reports are alarmist and wrong - f you want to stoke parental anxiety, there are few better ways than announcing a dramatic rise in the incidence of autism. That is exactly what happened at the weekend with a story that the incidence of autism was far higher than previously thought – as many as one in 58 children – with the MMR vaccine back in the dock as a possible culprit.  The story was the result of the leak of an unpublished report put together by a team of British scientists including Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, head of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University and one of the most authoritative figures in the field.

Autism: Why The Debate Rages - With the first autism case now being heard in federal vaccine court in Washington D.C., it makes sense to ask: Why is anyone even still debating the possibility of a link between vaccines and autism? After all, for years, many government health officials, advisors and vaccine manufacturers have said there's no association.  Here are a number of reasons why the question remains open:  1. While government scientists, advisors and pharmaceutical companies have been responsible for infinite lifesaving and life improving medical advances, they are not infallible.   It's the same group that originally thought it was safe to use x-ray machines in shoe stores, gave pregnant women Thalidomide for morning sickness and once allowed mercury in medicines. They assured us Vioxx and Duract were safe painkillers, prescribed Rezulin for diabetics and then denied any of them were responsible for patient deaths. If we never questioned that group, we might not have discovered that Fen-phen and the dietary supplement Ephedra are not safe weight loss products, that antidepressants in kids can lead to suicidality and Viagra can cause blindness. The list goes on.

Boy dies 'from autism therapy' - A five-year-old British boy has died in America after a controversial autism treatment.  Abubaker Tariq Nadama went into cardiac arrest in 2005 soon after receiving a dose of liquid disodium EDTA in a Pennsylvania clinic.  An autopsy found the cause of death was a shortage of calcium in the blood due to the treatment, called "chelation".  His parents have now sued the doctor who administered it for wrongful death.  Mawra and Rufai Nadama, of Plymouth, England, accused Dr Roy Kerry of causing their son to die at Kerry's office in Pennsylvania on August 23, 2005.

Cases of autism may be higher than believed - A NEW study estimating that 1 in 58 children in the UK has autism has prompted MEP, Kathy Sinnott, to express the view that the Autism Epidemic is affecting similar numbers in Ireland.  Already, she said, every Health Service Executive and school area in the country is struggling to cope with the increasing numbers of children with autism and Autistic Spectrum Disorders entering their systems.  A major European Commission funded project initiated by Kathy Sinnott MEP and launched in January 2006 in Dublin, is creating the format for identifying and counting persons with autism in EU countries. The European Autism Information System project, (EAIS) lead by epidemiologist Dr Alvaro Ramirez of Hope Project from Killaloe, Co Clare is coordinating the work of experts in universities and centres of excellence in the UK, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Denmark and the Czech Republic. “When this information system is finalised, early next year, we will be able to begin to collect accurate data on autism and find out the truth of what is happening to children in Ireland and in Europe” says Kathy Sinnott MEP chair of the Hope Project. / Ireland

Dolphins make debut as "doctors" -  Two bottlenose dolphins began swimming with children suffering from autism at Sea World in Xiaomeisha on Tuesday, Wednesday's Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.  A 9-year-old girl from Luohu District and a 2-year-old boy from Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province were the first lucky children to swim with the two therapeutic dolphins that Sea World bought from Nanjing in May.  Following a month's training, the dolphins can now jump, dance, pull a boat, shake fins with and "kiss" their trainers, make noises and "count," said Zhao Ganggui, vice manager of the marketing department of Sea World.  The arrival of the two dolphins brings the total number of dolphins at the theme park's aquarium to five. They will provide autism "treatment" to 12 children a month, said Dong Yan, a dolphin trainer. However, more than 1,500 children have signed up for the treatment. The theme park has arranged for more children from outside the city to swim with the dolphins in July and August, Dong said. "Human interaction can be very subtle, with even the smallest eyebrow raise, for example, having different meanings in different contexts," Robins said. "It is thought that autistic children cut themselves off from interacting with other humans because, for them, this is too much information and it is too confusing for them to understand."

Effects of autism 'long-lasting' - Almost half of adults with autism in England live with their parents, a National Autistic Society report says.  And just 15% of them are in full-time employment, says the society's "Moving on Up?" report.  But the society says this could improve if the right planning and support were offered to young people with autism.  England's Children's Commissioner, Sir Al Aynsley-Green, said the government had made progress but work was still needed to help young autistic people.  It's very scary because I know that when he reaches a certain age he will no longer be entitled to the support he's entitled to as a child  The NAS is calling for better support and services for young people with autism during the critical "transition stages" between school, higher education and employment.  Change can be difficult for young people with autism to cope with, and the transition from childhood to adult life can be especially problematic.  "It's very scary because I know that when he reaches a certain age he will no longer be entitled to the support he's entitled to as a child  Deborah Packenham" / UK

Father and Son's Attempt to Link Childhood Vaccines to Autism ... - Earlier this month, outside the gates of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, parents angrily confronted government scientists.  They were passionate about one specific point of view -- that their kids had been poisoned by the mercury contained in the childhood vaccines they'd received, and now had autism.  These parents were frustrated by the mainstream media and mainstream medicine, which insists there is no evidence to support their theory. The parents believe that scientists allowed the poisoning to happen and were now covering up the truth.  In turn, many of these parents have gone and found a small group of scientists, doctors and researchers who also believe that the mercury in vaccines have caused autism

Fighting autism one day and dollar at a time - One Federal Way resident is only a few clicks of a computer mouse away from raising $10,000 to help find a cure for autism.  Stephanie Hare is the top money collector for the Autism Speaks northwest chapter's Tacoma Walk Now for Autism event. Hare has raised $9,895 so far — her goal is $10,000.  Autism is a disorder that affects the brain, according to www.autismspeaks.org. It is part of a group called autism spectrum disorders. Autism can be detected as early as 18 months and lasts throughout one's lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Developmental disabilities, such as communication impairments, may accompany the disorder. Those affected by autism often need to follow a structured routine to be able to learn and interact with others, according to www.cdc.gov.  In 2007, the CDC released data finding that in the United States, every one in 150 8-year-old children had an autism spectrum disorder.  Hare's son, Connor, 4, has autism. This has motivated Hare to help researchers find a cure for the disorder by participating in the Tacoma Walk Now for Autism

Hidden Smarts: Abstract thought trumps IQ scores in autism - There's more to the intelligence of autistic people than meets the IQ. Unlike most individuals, children and adults diagnosed as autistic often score much higher on a challenging, nonverbal test of abstract reasoning than they do on a standard IQ test, say psychologist Laurent Mottron of Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies in Montreal and his colleagues.  The same autistic individuals who score near or below the IQ cutoff for "low functioning" or "mental retardation" achieve average or even superior scores on a test that taps a person's ability to infer rules and to think abstractly about geometric patterns, Mottron's team reports in the August Psychological Science.

Is Autism Declining? - For quite some time, the American government, health establishment and mainstream media have repeated the mantra that mercury-containing vaccines were eliminated "several years ago," yet the number of autism cases continues to climb -- the inference being that injecting organic mercury into newborn babies has now been proven to be 100 percent safe. The problem, though, is that there is no proof that mercury was eliminated "years ago" and, more importantly, now there are signs that autism rates among the youngest children might actually be falling. On Wednesday, the California Department of Developmental Services released data from the second quarter of 2007, showing that the number of three- to five-year-olds with autism in the state system increased by 169 children over the first quarter of 2007. This is about the same quarterly increase seen in the state over the past several years. But it turns out that a private citizen has paid the state each quarter to analyze the autism numbers according to year of birth, and not just by age group. State law requires that such privately funded analyses be made available to anyone else who asks for it.  By Dave Kirby

New 'benchmark' for autism care - Guidelines setting out a "benchmark" for the care of children with autism in Scotland have been published. It is the first time in the UK that clinicians, parents and carers have drawn up the evidence-based standards.  About 7,500 children and teenagers in Scotland are thought to have some form of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).  Those behind the guidelines said they would help parents who had until now been faced with information which could be contradictory or even misleading.  The guidelines, developed by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (Sign), aim to provide a road map of best practice and tried-and-tested treatments.  There is an enormous volume of information out there, much of it contradictory, some of it downright misleading  They recommend improvements to the diagnosis and assessment of children with ASD. / UK

New fears over MMR link to autism - Fresh fears over a possible link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism have been raised after a new study found that almost double the number of children could have the condition than previously thought.  Researchers at Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre (ARC) have estimated that one in 58 children suffer from some form of the disorder, compared to previous estimates of about one in 100. The figures mean up to 210,000 children under 16 across the UK could have some form of autism, the unpublished research by the ARC found.

Psychology student links sunbed use to low self-esteem - Sunbeds, self-esteem and autism have been the topics of final year psychology students graduating in Londonderry at the University of Ulster's Magee campus this week.  Catherine Phelan from Eglinton and Roisin Lindsay from College Glen in Londonderry completed research as Science Shop projects during their final year.  They looked at relationship between the use of sunbeds and self-esteem, and parents coping with stresses associated with autism. Both graduated with a BSc in Psychology, Second Class Honours Upper Division at ceremonies in the Millennium Forum.  Science Shop is a point of contact between community groups and the university, which gives undergraduates an opportunity to develop their research skills by carrying out projects for community and voluntary groups.  Catherine worked in partnership with the Ulster Cancer Foundation to investigate the relationship between levels of sunbed use and self-esteem and body image.  Her research concluded that young women with low self-esteem and body image were much more likely to use sunbeds.

Research on empathy earns praise - Empathy, which has been seen as an abstract emotion, can be scientifically measured and evaluated, a major finding in human-brain mapping which offers hope for the early diagnosis and treatment of autism, according to a research team headed by a Taiwanese doctor. The research, led by Cheng Ya-wei (鄭雅薇) of Taipei City Hospital, was recognized as one of this year's 10 most-important papers by the Organization for Human Brain Mapping for its contributions in measuring empathy functions in the brain using magnetoencephalography. The organization is a group dedicated to the development of human functional neuroimaging,  "People with autism suffer from impaired communication due to a lack of empathy and the scientific measurement of empathy will help to provide assistance in the early treatment of autism," Cheng said yesterday at Taipei City Hall during a press conference. Thanks to this breakthrough, people with autism will be diagnosed earlier, allowing them to receive treatment sooner, Cheng said. Early intervention is important. as intensive, sustained special education programs and behavior therapy can help children acquire self-care, social and job skills. Former vice president of Academia Sinica, Ovid Tseng (曾志朗), who acted as Cheng's research adviser, lauded her work. politicians

Researcher sees link between vitamin D and autism - The growing prevalence of autism is one of the biggest scientific whodunits in the medical world, with few clues for its rising incidence. But a U.S. researcher is advancing a controversial hypothesis: that autism is related to vitamin D deficiency during fetal development and early childhood. Dr. John Cannell, a psychiatrist and prominent vitamin D advocate, says flagging levels of the vitamin in pregnant women and young children could be the elusive factor explaining the rising rate of autism. The evidence for such a link is circumstantial, and autism experts describe the hypothesis as speculative.  But Dr. Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, a non-profit advocacy group, says autism rates have skyrocketed in lockstep with medical advice given to the public since the late 1980s to avoid all exposure to bright sunshine.

Stem Cell Clinic Publishes First Peer Reviewed Paper on Autism ... - -The Institute for Cellular Medicine (www.cellmedicine.com) announced today what appears to be the first publication in a peer reviewed journal outlining scientific rationale for the use of stem cells in the treatment of autism.  “The application of stem cell therapy to autism, a condition affecting approximately 1 in 144 children, offers the possibility of addressing the root cause of this disorder,” said Dr. Gang Chen, one of the International Scientific Advisors for the Institute of Cellular Medicine. He continued, “While numerous clinics have used adult stem cells therapeutically for years, none of these clinics make it a priority to publish in the peer reviewed literature the scientific basis for their work and findings. As a result, anecdotal findings and observations which would have great value to academic researchers are largely ignored. We hope to correct this.”
The publication, entitled “Stem cell therapy for autism,” was published in the Journal of Translational Medicine and is freely available online at http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/pdf/1479-5876-5-30.pdf. A video summary of the paper may be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlSaXCzLW6w.   “While embryonic stem cells are receiving the spotlight of the mass media, fears of carcinogenesis, immune rejection and lack of differentiation have blocked these cells from clinical use to date. In sharp contrast, adult stem cell therapy, which does not involve destruction of fetuses has demonstrated great success in various US and European clinical trials for conditions such as heart failure, liver cirrhosis, and Crohn’s disease. In fact, companies such as Osiris Therapeutics are already in Phase III FDA registration trials for their adult mesenchymal stem cell therapy product. By this publication, we hope to extend current clinical research of adult stem cells to autism,” concluded Dr. Chen.

Stem Cell Therapy for Autism: A Proposal - The Institute for Cellular Medicine (www.cellmedicine.com ) announced today what appears to be the first publication in a peer reviewed journal outlining scientific rationale for the use of stem cells in the treatment of autism.  "The application of stem cell therapy to autism, a condition affecting approximately 1 in 144 children, offers the possibility of addressing the root cause of this disorder," said Dr. Gang Chen, one of the International Scientific Advisors for the Institute of Cellular Medicine. He continued, "While numerous clinics have used adult stem cells therapeutically for years, none of these clinics make it a priority to publish in the peer reviewed literature the scientific basis for their work and findings. As a result, anecdotal findings and observations which would have great value to academic researchers are largely ignored. We hope to correct this."

Study links autism with growth hormones, big heads - Boys with autism and related disorders had higher levels of growth hormones than other boys, which may explain why children with the condition often have larger heads, researchers reported on Friday. Boys with autism and autism spectrum disorders were also heavier than boys without these conditions, the teams at the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital reported. Other studies had already shown that children with autism have very rapid head growth in early life. "The study authors have uncovered a promising new lead in the quest to understand autism," said Dr. Duane Alexander, Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Study: Signs of autism show earlier in some children - Children with autism can be identified as early as 14 months old, the youngest age at which the disorder has been diagnosed, a study by researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore suggests. But about half the time, symptoms may not show up until months later. That suggests at least two distinct paths leading to autism: one that starts early in life and one in which a child seems to develop normally and then regresses, losing language and social skills. Results of the study, the first to follow toddlers from 14 months to 3, could allow earlier treatment to reduce the effects of autism, says Rebecca Landa, lead author of the report published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Surge in Autism Cases Confounds Researchers, Expert Says - The nation is in the midst of an “explosion” in the number of children with autism and researchers are at a loss to explain the surge in cases, said an expert in the treatment of childhood developmental disorders at a conference at Fordham University. Speaking at the Fordham Graduate School of Education’s fifth annual Early Childhood Conference on April 27, Cecelia McCarton, M.D., said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now estimate the prevalence of autism among American children at 1 in 150. “These children are coming at us day after day after day,” said McCarton, a professor of clinical pediatrics at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine and founder of the McCarton School, which treats children with autism. “The numbers are staggering. I would say that 15 years ago, if I saw two children a month who … were classified as being autistic, that was a lot ... . Now, I probably see four or five cases a week that come to my office.

The Age of Autism: Study sees vaccine risk - A new, privately funded survey finds vaccinated U.S. children have a significantly higher risk of neurological disorders -- including autism -- than unvaccinated children. In one striking finding, vaccinated boys 11-17 were more than twice as likely to have autism as their never-vaccinated counterparts. The telephone survey of parents representing a total of 17,000 children appears to be the first of its kind -- and contrasts starkly with several government-backed studies that have found no risk from vaccines. "No one has ever compared prevalence rates of these neurological disorders between vaccinated and unvaccinated children," said J.B. Handley, father of a child with autism and co-founder of Generation Rescue, which commissioned the $200,000 survey conducted by SurveyUSA, a respected marketing firm. "The phone survey isn't perfect, but these numbers point to the need for a comprehensive national study to gather this critical information. "We have heard some speculation that unvaccinated children would be difficult to locate," Handley said. "But we were able to find more than enough in our sample of more than 17,000 children to establish confidence intervals at or above 95 percent for the primary comparisons we made." Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., reintroduced a bill first submitted last year calling for the National Institutes of Health to conduct such a study

The agony of autism - Driving through central Wisconsin recently, I battled the melancholy that crawls into my heart each year at this time, around the birth date of my first-born -- my son, whose needs have driven me to near exhaustion and stretched my limits of patience; my son who is clever and sweet and has expanded my level of compassion; my son, who should be taking his driver's license test but is not and may never do so. My son, who has autism. I recalled last summer when he struggled with chronic health issues that depleted me. Those issues are history now, thanks to wonderful University of Minnesota doctors. Life is so much better. In my mind's eye the scale that measured his life tipped away from the end that housed a sense of loss and despair to the end that harbored gratitude and optimism. In a freaky coincidence, a radio newscaster interrupted my reverie to announce that local authorities had found the body of 7-year-old Benjamin "Benjy" Heil floating in a pond less than a mile from his Wisconsin home.

Using a Robot to Teach Human Social Skills - Children with autism are often described as robotic: They are emotionless. They engage in obsessive, repetitive behavior and have trouble communicating and socializing.  Now, a humanoid robot designed to teach autistic children social skills has begun testing in British schools.  Known as KASPAR (Kinesics and Synchronisation in Personal Assistant Robotics), the $4.33 million bot smiles, simulates surprise and sadness, gesticulates and, the researchers hope, will encourage social interaction amongst autistic children.  Developed as part of the pan-European IROMEC (Interactive Robotic Social Mediators as Companions ) project, KASPAR has two "eyes" fitted with video cameras and a mouth that can open and smile.  Children with autism have difficulty understanding and interpreting people's facial expressions and body language, says Dr. Ben Robins, a senior research fellow at the University of Hertfordshire's Adaptive Systems Research Group, who leads the multi-national team behind KASPAR.  "Human interaction can be very subtle, with even the smallest eyebrow raise, for example, having different meanings in different contexts," Robins said. "It is thought that autistic children cut themselves off from interacting with other humans because, for them, this is too much information and it is too confusing for them to understand."  "Human interaction can be very subtle, with even the smallest eyebrow raise, for example, having different meanings in different contexts," Robins said. "It is thought that autistic children cut themselves off from interacting with other humans because, for them, this is too much information and it is too confusing for them to understand."

When autism hits home - BEN IS a mischievous kindergartner with a contagious smile. He can be disarmingly affectionate, like when he gives a big hug after stirring up trouble around the house  He loves "Thomas the Tank Engine" (and rewinds the videos constantly), challenging puzzles (something he can do quickly without looking for guidance) and wrestling with his older brothers (a release from the daily frustration he experiences). In his short life, Ben has also made clear his dislikes. They include crowded places, making conversation (he speaks only in sentence fragments) and being in the company of people who aren't family members (which often results in a "meltdown," once called a "temper tantrum"). If you haven't guessed, Ben is autistic. To researchers, he's a statistic. But he's much more to me. He's my youngest son.

Why there's no dispelling the myth that vaccines cause autism. - At the recent 12-day hearing into theories that vaccines cause autism, the link between the disorder and the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine came across as shaky at best. As for the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal, which was used in other vaccines, witnesses showed that in all known cases of actual mercury poisoning (none of which caused autism), the dose was hundreds or thousands of times higher than what kids got during the 1990s. Powerful population studies showed no link to either MMR or thimerosal-containing shots. None of that moves Mary Wildman, 47, whose son's case is before the court and who drove from her home near Pittsburgh to watch the hearing, which ended this week. "I know what happened to my son after he got his MMR shot," she told me. "I have no doubt. There's no way they'll convince me that all these kids were not damaged by vaccines."

With rise in autism, programs strained - A decade ago, it took a few months to get a child into Melmark New England, a special school largely for children with autism. Now, the wait can be five years. And LADDERS, a Wellesley autism clinic, has all but closed its doors to new patients: "We're backed up well over a year here, and other clinics are struggling the same way," said Dr. Margaret Bauman, its director. Statewide, the number of schoolchildren diagnosed with autism has nearly doubled over the last five years, from 4,080 to 7,521, according to soon-to-be-published data from the Department of Education. Massachusetts provides some of the best care in the nation for children with autism, but the increase is straining the system and forcing parents to fight harder than ever to get help.

11-Year-Old Writes Book About Sibling's Asperger's Syndrome - Some children with Asperger's Syndrome, a milder form of autism, may go undiagnosed for years. The behaviors can be difficult for families, especially for siblings. One person decided to put his thoughts down on paper. At 11 years of age, Sam Frender is like other boys his age, except he has written a book. It is about living with an older brother with Asperger's Syndrome. For 13 years, Sam's parents didn't know the cause of their oldest son's behavior issues. "He was misdiagnosed at first as having anxiety disorder, then attention deficit disorder," said Robin Schiffmiller, Sam's mother. The family then learned about Asperger's Syndrome and had him evaluated. "(We) are so thrilled to finally know what it is," Robin said.

An interview with autistic FC pioneer, Richard Attfield - Richard Attfield is one of the authors featured in the book "Autism and The Myth of The Person Alone" edited by Professor Doug Biklen from Syracuse University. Richard was one of the first people with autism in the UK to use the augmented communication device called a Canon Communicator and developed functional communication through FC - Facilitated Communication in his teens. As an adult he has progressively gained more verbal communication. He's an activist, an artist, and an inspiration.  I give you Mr Richard Attfield.

Autism claims on thimerosal reach special "vaccine court" / Although the scientific evidence would seem to absolve vaccines from blame in causing autism, many parents remain unconvinced. - The debate over mercury's role in causing autism is having its day in court. A test case is under way in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., to determine if the autism diagnosed in a 12-year-old girl was caused by a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine administered when she was an infant. Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services is the first to be heard of the 4,800 petitions filed by families of children with autism. Its outcome is of prime importance to the families seeking monetary support to help care for their children. It is also of great importance to physicians who are concerned that a decision favoring the families could undermine the perceived safety of vaccines.

Concern for missing boy - CONCERN is growing for the welfare of a 16-year-old boy from Hereford who was reported on missing on June 29. Nathan Rollinson was last seen at 11am at Herefordshire College of Technology where he was dropped off to get a hair cut. He had arranged to meet his foster mother at 3.30pm but did not turn up. Nathan has not been in contact since and police are growing increasingly concerned about him and are keen to locate him safe and well.

Daughter’s autism made Michelle first class mother - A MUM-of-two who was inspired to study for a degree after researching her daughter's autism has graduated with first class honours from the University of Strathclyde. Michelle McKie, 38, from Renfrew, was motivated to begin her biochemistry and immunology degree after signing up for an Open University course in child developmental psychology. The child science behind autism whetted her appetite to such an extent that she decided to pursue a qualification at the university. Michelle, mother to seven-year-old Kerr and 12-year-old April, will now begin a postgraduate degree at the university's Jordanhill campus where she will train to become a biology and chemistry teacher. She said: "I look forward to a future of sharing my knowledge."

Error in Text in: Understanding Autism: Parents and Pediatricians ... - Error in Text. In the article titled "Understanding Autism: Parents and Pediatricians in Historical Perspective" by Silverman and Brosco published in the April issue of the Archives (2007;161[4]:392-398), an error occurred on page 394. In the first paragraph of the second column, the fourth and fifth sentences should have read as follows: "Parents are guaranteed a say in the review process: CAN maintains a scientific review committee comprising scientific degree–holding parents of children with autism; this review committee ranks projects after an initial review by a scientific advisory group (written communication, Therese Finazzo, January 5, 2006). The National Alliance for Autism Research maintains a similar 2-tiered system (written communication, Alycia Halladay, PhD, December 27, 2005)."

Gender Identity Disorders and Bipolar Disorder Associated With the ... - To The Editor: Gender identity disorder is a rare condition of atypical gender development in which there is a subjective perception of self in opposition to an individual’s gender. The lifetime prevalence of mood disorders comorbidity with gender identity disorder is approximately 45% (1). We report the case of a patient carrying a Y chromosomal abnormality associated with gender identity disorder and comorbid bipolar II disorder.

My boy has become like a caged animal - A LITTLE boy in Gourock can’t enjoy his own back yard because it’s filled with dangerous fire-ravaged rubbish. Eight-year-old Andrew Norris has been unable to play in the garden of his George Road home after a fire, which started in a fuse box, ripped through the upstairs flat three weeks ago.  Debris including charred doors, broken glass and other remains were flung by firefighters into Donna’s back yard.  Now Andrew, who has autism, and his family hope Inverclyde Council will finally clear the torched rubbish and return their lives to normal.  Mum Donna, 37, said: “It’s soul-destroying and it’s breaking my heart that Andrew can’t get out.  “He doesn’t understand he can’t be allowed out because there’s shards of glass and wood with nails.  “It’s just too dangerous.

'This Is at Least a Signal' / WHO's Dr. Ralph Edwards  On Data Mining Over Drugs - Dr. Ralph Edwards of the World Health Organization's collaborating center for international drug monitoring spoke with The Wall Street Journal's Avery Johnson about his decision to go public with a hypothesis linking a condition remarkably similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, to cholesterol drugs called statins. The move was controversial because Dr. Edwards's group digs around in side-effect reports turned in at random by consumers and doctors -- not the same as scientifically rigorous clinical trials data. But Dr. Edwards stands by his choice, and thinks it offers a lesson to multinational drug companies and regulators. Below, some edited excerpts from a series of discussions. (See related article.)

Study: Signs of autism earlier in some children - Children with autism can be identified as early as 14 months old, the youngest age at which the disorder has been diagnosed, a study by researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore suggests.  But about half the time, symptoms may not show up until months later. That suggests at least two distinct paths leading to autism: one that starts early in life and one in which a child seems to develop normally and then regresses, losing language and social skills.  Results of the study, the first to follow toddlers from 14 months until they turn 3, could allow earlier treatment to reduce the effects of autism, says Rebecca Landa, lead author of the report published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Vaccination Conspiracy - Adding ADHD to the Mix - There has been a whole lot crap floating around the press in the last couple weeks since the trial started that is seeking to link vaccination with higher incidence of autism. Now a survey funded by one of these anti-vaccination groups is correlating, through a random telephone survey, more mental health issues like ADHD with vaccination. So why do you think this correlation exists? Is there a simple way of simply explaining away this correlation (think less pirates = more global warming). Here's some of the info from medical news today: The survey, commissioned by Generation Rescue, compared vaccinated and unvaccinated children in nine counties in Oregon and California. Among more than 9,000 boys age 4-17, the survey found vaccinated boys were two and a half times (155%) more likely to have neurological disorders compared to their unvaccinated peers. Vaccinated boys were 224% more likely to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and 61% more likely to have autism.

Video game helps kids with cancer - Hope Lab, a Redwood City-based laboratory group that specializes in improving the health of youth with chronic illnesses, recently released Re-Mission, a first-of-its-kind video game designed to help educate teens about cancer.The release comes on the heels of a recent study that shows that teens who played the game were better at keeping up their chemotherapy regimen and showed higher rates of antibiotic usage, suggesting that Re-Mission players are more likely to adhere to proper cancer therapy regimens.

Wrestling World Coping With Tragedy - World Wrestling Entertainment has long thrived on shock and bizarre plots, but now the company is trying to cope with a real-life tragedy involving murder, suicide, Bibles and possibly anabolic steroids. Pro wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife and 7-year-old son last weekend, placing Bibles next to their bodies, before hanging himself on the cable of a weight-machine in his suburban Atlanta home, authorities said. No motive was offered. "It's going to be tough for some fans to watch wrestling for a while," said Dave Meltzer, editor of Wrestling Observer, a newsletter. "Wrestling has been through a lot. This is the worst ever."

A million children now suffer from mental health problems - More than a million children have mental health problems, a doubling of the number in a generation, devastating research reveals today.  An epidemic of disorders ranging from depression, anxiety and anorexia to violent delinquency has struck one in ten youngsters.  Last night experts blamed a damaging mix of family breakdown, junk food diets, marketing, binge-drinking, increasing availability of drugs, sexy images projected by magazines and mounting exam pressure for the trend. They warned that modern lifestyles were forcing youngsters to grow up more quickly than previous generations, robbing them of their childhoods.  The children's charity, NCH, called for urgent action to prevent mental health problems wrecking the prospects of a generation.  It issued the warning as separate figures showed that the number of children admitted to hospital suffering from eating disorders has shot up more than a third in the last ten years.

Attack on Mothers - The poisonous public attacks on Katie Wright this week--for revealing that her autistic son Christian (grandson of NBC Chair Bob Wright), has recovered significant function after chelation treatments to remove mercury -- surprised many observers unfamiliar with the acrimonious debate over the mercury-based vaccine preservative Thimerosal. But the patronizing attacks on the mothers of autistic children who have organized to oppose this brain-killing poison is one of the most persistent tactics employed by those defending Thimerosal against the barrage of scientific evidence linking it to the epidemic of pediatric neurological disorders, including autism. Mothers of autistics are routinely dismissed as irrational, hysterical, or as a newspaper editor told me last week, "desperate to find the reason for their children's illnesses," and therefore, overwrought and disconnected. By Robert Kennedy Jr.

"Autism and the God Connection": The Movie, The Sequel, Your Thoughts - Several years ago, William Stillman, a speaker, writer, and adult with Asperger syndrome, wrote a book called Autism and the God Connection. The book includes many stories of children with autism (including many non-verbal children) who appear to have spiritual and/or paranormal gifts. I reviewed the book on this site, and Bill was kind enough to share his reflections for a Q&A article. There's no doubt that Autism and the God Connection touched the autism community deeply. Many parents responded with great intensity to the book - and many others shared their stories. Bill's work also attracted the interest of a documentary film-maker, who is in the process of creating a film based on the book (a very simple teaser video is available on YouTube).

Autism Crankery at Huffpo - Again - RFK Jr. writes the standard crank screedThe poisonous public attacks on Katie Wright this week--for revealing that her autistic son Christian (grandson of NBC Chair Bob Wright), has recovered significant function after chelation treatments to remove mercury -- surprised many observers unfamiliar with the acrimonious debate over the mercury-based vaccine preservative Thimerosal.  The poisonous public attacks on Katie Wright this week--for revealing that her autistic son Christian (grandson of NBC Chair Bob Wright), has recovered significant function after chelation treatments to remove mercury -- surprised many observers unfamiliar with the acrimonious debate over the mercury-based vaccine preservative Thimerosal. Huffpo, and it's like a mirror reflection of the CBS news crankery that Orac takes on. Let's see, it's a crank screed so it at a very minimum has to have four elements. The wacky idea, a bunch of inflated non-evidence, conspiracy theories to deflect criticism, and finally, notions of persecution. Let's see how RFK Jr. does. The poisonous public attacks on Katie Wright this week--for revealing that her autistic son Christian (grandson of NBC Chair Bob Wright), has recovered significant function after chelation treatments to remove mercury -- surprised many observers unfamiliar with the acrimonious debate over the mercury-based vaccine preservative Thimerosal.

Autistic Children's Works Shown - If you're looking to purchase great artwork that also benefits a good cause, you'll want to stop by a special showing at downtown Atlanta gallery. The Krause Gallery is featuring art produced by children at The Marcus Institute with the help of nine professional artists who have been working with the children. Gallery owner, Benjamin Krause said, "If you look around the room, the work looks wonderful and if you look around the room , some of this work is amazing. I think people really got it. It wasn't just about kids work."  The art auction, "All The Same, All Different -- A Convergence of Artists," benefits the Early Intervention Program at The Marcus Institute, which is directed by Dr. Catherine Trapani .  Local artist David E. Peterson collaborated with nine artists-in-residence to share their work and creativity with children since August of last year. The artist include Michael Marshall, Scott Hall, Hadley Breckenridge, Brandon Morrison (IBLET), David D'Agostino, Shannon Feisot, Alberto Mier, Matt Colagiuri and Audry Ward.

Dallas cell research sheds light on autism - A cell component related to rare cases of autism helps control nerve cell connections, Dallas scientists have found.  Their new study provides a deeper understanding of how nerve cells connect in the brain, and hints at what may go wrong in some cases of autism.  If abnormal connections turn out to be a theme in the brains of autistic patients, researchers may be able to translate that knowledge into medications one day.  “If we understand what the [nerve cell components] do, we may be able to design therapeutic strategies,” said Ege Kavalali, a neuroscientist at UT Southwestern Medical Center who participated in the research. “It’s early to think about, but maybe we can intervene.”  But researchers caution that many people with autism might have no problems with the components studied in the new UT Southwestern research. The research is described in the latest issue of the journal Neuron.

Gordon Brown Urged To Take Decisive Action On Autism, UK - Autism campaigner Ivan Corea briefly met the Prime Minister-in-waiting, Gordon Brown and urged him to listen to the voices of parents, carers and people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome and provide them with better public services.Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder - there are estimates of 587,900 people with autism in the UK. According to researchers, 1 in 100 children may have autism. Numbers are rising and campaigners are urging the Government to act now and help children and adults who have autism spectrum disorder.  Mr. Brown who has been travelling all over the UK as part of his campaign has promised to listen to all sections of the community.

'Kaspar' the robot helps autistic kids play - Autistic children in the U.K. are learning to develop play skills, which researchers hope will help them interact with others and develop socially, by spending time with Kaspar, a child-size robot.  A team of researchers at the University of Hertfordshire's School of Computer Science in the U.K. has developed the robot and is testing it in special-education schools in the region. Their research is part of the Interactive Robotic Social Mediators as Companions (IROMEC) project, which is funded by the European Union and besides the U.K. has participating organizations in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France.  The project's aim and, in particular, Kaspar -- an acronym for Kinesics and Synchronization in Personal Assistant Robotics -- is to investigate how robotic toys can become social "mediators" for human contact, helping autistic children interact with other children and adults, according to university researcher Ben Robins.

Lawsuit Alleges Vaccine Caused Autism / Lawyers representing some 5,000 parents of autistic children began making their case that the makers of vaccines administered during the first months of their child's life caused a neurological disorder - The parents, in a class action lawsuit that went to court this month, claim that thimerosal, a preservative added to vaccines that contains the toxic chemical mercury, caused their children to develop autism. Thimerosal is present most notably in the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine that children are required to receive in many states before starting kindergarten. Although several major scientific studies have found no connection between thimerosal and autism, the parents filing the suit point to the sharp rise in the number of autism diagnoses over the past decade and insist the increase is a direct result of mercury-laced vaccinations.

Links between vaccines and autism not present - In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield conducted a study of 12 children with autism and certain gastroenteric problems. He published the study, co-authored with 12 other physicians, in The Lancet, a British, peer-reviewed medical journal. The supposed link between vaccinations and autism presented in this paper caused a scare in the United Kingdom that led to a massive decline in vaccinations the following year. The study was performed using flawed logic, and 10 of the 13 authors retracted the conclusions of the paper in response to the backlash brought about by the scientific community concerning the bad science performed in the study.  The "myth and fear" that Jennifer Boettner refers to in her letter, "Choice should be key factor in vaccinations" (SN 6/15), should be taken seriously. Her response really is just that - a myth and a scientifically unfounded fear.

Loner "not bothered" by nurse murder - A loner accused of murdering a a nurse by stabbing her 70 times said he was "not bothered" about the killing, the Old Bailey heard today. Stuart Harling, who is accused of being obsessed with violent fantasy games and wanting to be a famous serial killer, said the death of defenceless Cheryl Moss meant "nothing" to him.  ...Harling later admitted he had killed Ms Moss, but claimed that he suffered from Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - and was mentally ill at the time. Harling denies one count of murder and the trial, expected to last two weeks, continues.

Mother Of 5 To Be Deported, Family Fighting It - A woman is sitting in the Sherburne County jail awaiting deportation. Her husband is here legally, her five children are American citizens but Sara Munoz Gonzalez has been living here illegally since her visa expired. On Wednesday, Gonzalez' family and immigration activists spoke out, asking for help to keep her in Minnesota. A translator helped Nixon Avendano explain what police said when they arrested his wife at their home in St. Michael, Minn. "He said we're going to detain your wife," explained Avendano. Gonzalez was supposed to be deported on Wednesday but was granted a one week extension. "We cannot live without our Mom. She is everything to us. We don't want our family to be apart," sobbed Gonzalez's 12-year-old daughter Jennifer. Gonzalez's husband has worked two jobs since immigrating legally from El Salvador. He has achieved success for himself and his family but he said none of it is worth anything without his wife. "The impact this has had on our family is that we are all heartbroken, we are all destroyed," said Avendano through an interpreter. He wonders how he can care for their youngest Edwin, the boy suffers from autism.

Parents to appeal autistic education ruling - The parents of a seven-year-old boy with autism have lodged a Supreme Court appeal against the High Court's decision not to compel the State to provide him with a particular type of education. Cian and Yvonne Ó Cuanacháin say their son, Seán, needs a type of education called Applied Behavioural Analysis or ABA. H owever, the High Court ruled that the alternative form of education being offered by the State was appropriate for him. Advertisement In a statement issued today, the Ó Cuanacháins said it was 18 months since they first stepped into the High Court and time was not on Seán's side. They said they were bewildered and devastated that the department provided special help by way of ABA education to children all over the country but had withheld that help from Seán. They said they were required to appeal the judgment of Mr Justice Michael Peart but it placed an untold burden on them as a family.

Protein mutations link to autism - They have shown one protein increases the excitability of nerve cells, while the other inhibits cell activity.  The University of Texas team found that in normal circumstances the proteins balance each other out.  But the study, published in Neuron, suggests that in people with autism the balance between the proteins is knocked out of kilter.  Understanding how the autistic brain is different to the neurotypical brain will have significant implications for education and intervention.  The findings back the theory that autism involves an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory connections between nerve cells.  The proteins, which serve to physically link nerve cells together, were discovered by the team at the university's Southwestern Medical Center more than a decade ago.

School could undergo tests for possible autism link - Officials and environmental experts are investigating a high incidence of autism and learning disabilities among children born to teachers at a special education school here.  An informal poll taken by officials at St. Anthony's revealed that 14 of 39 children born to faculty members since 1997 had a learning disability _ three were diagnosed as autistic and 11 experienced speech and language delays. The poll relied partly on teachers' recollections.  St. Anthony's has served children with varying degrees of autism for 30 years, and currently has about 100 students. The property is owned by the Newark Archdiocese and leased by the Northern Valley Regional High School District, which administers the program.

Teachers, families cope with autism - With cases of the disorder on the rise nationwide, autism is a term that carries a complicated range of symptoms that remain unexplained, baffling neurologists for years. Autism often refers to an entire spectrum of neurological disorders with traits, ranging from mild to severe, affecting more than 1 million U.S. residents. "I have three students with autism in my class and they're all completely different," said Pam Taylor, special education teacher for South Lake Tahoe High School, in her classroom on Tuesday. The disorders can be as individual as the people affected, but social interaction bears the brunt of an autism diagnosis in most cases.

Teaneck teen drowns while taking bath - A 14-year-old with a severe form of autism drowned while taking a bath, police said. Ariel Small's mother pulled her daughter out of the tub over the weekend. Small's mother, police and paramedics tried to resuscitate the girl, authorities said. However, their efforts were not successful and she was pronounced dead at Holy Name Hospital. Two weeks ago, Small's parents were given awards by the township and the Bergen

Vietnam vets 'pass on mental problems' - Vietnam veterans are passing on post traumatic stress disorder to their children and grandchildren in the form of behavioural and anxiety disorders, a university academic says. Queensland University of Technology PhD student Ken O'Brien said not enough research had been done on how the traumas of war were being passed on to children via parenting styles, social factors and even genetics. Mr O'Brien, who is from the university's School of Social Change Research and is the son of a Vietnam veteran, is studying the phenomenon, which he says is widespread. He said it was causing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, Asperger's syndrome and depressive and anxiety conditions in children and grandchildren.

18-year-old faces new sex assault count - A Newbury teenager who faces the possibility of life imprisonment on rape charges was arraigned on more sexual assault charges last week. But the teen may not be competent to stand trial because he has autism and isn't speaking with his defense lawyer, according to his public defender.  Robert "Bobby" Derderian, 18, a junior at Kearsarge Regional High School, has been charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl and recording one of the episodes on video. Last month, he was indicted on three more charges involving a 10-year-old victim; the charges stem from incidents that occurred in Newbury last summer, according to court records. He was arraigned on charges of aggravated felonious sexual assault, indecent exposure and lewdness Thursday at Merrimack County Superior Court.  Derderian did not speak at the hearing, and his lawyer, Tracy Scavarelli, asked the court to enter not-guilty pleas to the charges on his behalf. Derderian is not to have any contact with either of the girls who brought forward charges, and he is supposed to call in to pretrial services to confirm he is following his bail conditions.  Scavarelli asked the court if Derderian's parents can call in on his behalf, which angered George Waldron, who is prosecuting the case for the Merrimack County Attorney's Office. He accused Derderian of "malingering."  "I think he can speak and he's just faking it," Waldron said after the hearing. A competency evaluation was scheduled, and results are expected in one to two months.

Autistic Boy Killed, Firefighter Injured In Beach Blaze - Their friendship started with a few short words through a backyard fence. On one side was Trevor, a shy, young boy with autism who liked his neighbor's dog. On the other was Thomas Harris, a married man in his 50s.  The boy's trust grew. He began bringing potato chips to share with his new friend. He picked Harris' flowers and returned them as a gift. Harris knew Trevor liked the red ones best, so he planted more of those.  "He and I became real good friends," Harris said. "Over a year he started to open up."

Autistic student turns her own tale of adoption into kids' book - Sauntering over to the library at Brunswick County's Union Elementary School, 11-year-old Heather Higgins runs into a custodian and tells her proudly, "I wrote a book." "You did? Really?" the custodian asks. Heather nods and walks on. Trailing behind her are her three biological siblings and her foster parents and sister, the young author's entourage. Heather sits down at a table with her foster mother, Susan Higgins, while her siblings disperse and go look for books. Heather and her brother Michael, 7, love to read, Higgins says. Both have been diagnosed with autism, which affects communication skills and social interaction in varying degrees. While Heather is outgoing, Michael, who has a more severe case of the disorder, is isolated and even more of an avid reader, having gotten an award in first grade for reading more than 200 books, their foster mother says. Heather talks about her newly released book, The Foal That Doesn't Have a Family, without shyness. Michael keeps to himself, lying on his belly on the library floor, engrossed in a book.

Autism and Our Passion For Simple Causes and Quick Fixes - The boy, whose name is Roberto, is four and a half years old. He's neatly dressed, alert, seems comfortable in the room, with no signs of any emotional stress. But it doesn't take long for us to understand that something is wrong: he never engages you in conversation. If you say: "How are you, Roberto?" his answer is: "How are you, Roberto?" If you say: "The weather is nice today," his response is: "The weather is nice today." Does he understand what we say? He avoids eye contact and his facial expression never changes. But if he sees a movement, he'll quickly turn his head and follow the movement. A slight movement of someone's hand will catch his attention, and he'll focus on the movement immediately. If a marble rolls on the table in front of him, he turns immediately and watches the marble. We say: "Did you have cereal for breakfast this morning?" His face impassive, he replies: "Did you have cereal for breakfast this morning?" Roberto has an "autistic disorder": marked impairments in communication, impairments in social interactions, restricted interests and activities.

Autism Case Involving Mercury In Vaccines Heard By Federal Court ... - (Best Syndication) Plaintiffs in nearly 4,800 cases are watching nine test cases brought before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims concerning a link between autism and mercury in childhood vaccinations. Many experts say that there is no link, but some parents and watchdog groups claim otherwise. Since the diagnosis of autism is made around the time of childhood vaccinations, a suggested link between the two was made. Cases of autism have been on the rise and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that 1 in 150 eight year old children suffer from the condition. Since earlier numbers indicated that one in several thousand children had the condition, the disease represents an epidemic.

Autism research pushed forward - Amid concern about New Jersey having America's highest autism rate, state senators Thursday pushed forward proposals to promote autism research. The Assembly-approved bills would establish a statewide autism registry and provide more money for research and treatment. The bills are among several autism-related proposals that can now be considered by the full Senate."New Jersey needs to increase the assistance we provide to families living with autism, as well as contribute to our collective scientific understanding of the autism spectrum disorders," said a bill sponsor, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen. The largest U.S. study of childhood autism found earlier this year that about 1 in 152 children nationwide have the disorder, with the highest rate -- 1 in 94 children -- found in New Jersey.

Autism registry launched - Experts say they've launched the first U.S. national online autism registry. The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) will link parents of children with autism with researchers in an effort to learn more about the causes and treatments for autism. The network will collect valuable genealogical, environmental and treatment data from parents and will inform parents about local and national research studies. Many autism studies cannot be completed because researchers aren't able to enroll enough qualified participants. The network's data collection and management processes are designed to ensure privacy. Visit the IAN project at www.IANproject.org

Emotions Run High Over Autism Causes - Former NBC chairman Bob Wright was so determined to help his grandson Christian when he was diagnosed with autism that he launched an ambitious crusade to find all possible causes and cures of this neurological disorder. His charity, Autism Speaks, quickly became a leader in the field, raising $15 million in just two years for research — more than any other group. Now, the Wrights find themselves party to the same debate that has divided activists lobbying for research, funding and public awareness.  Wright's daughter Katie complained that not enough is being done to investigate childhood vaccines, which she believes caused her son Christian's autism. He is now 6.  "We give 37 vaccines to babies under the age of 18 months. Nobody has shown that that's safe … multiple vaccines at once," Katie said on an April "Oprah Winfrey Show" appearance. "You look at food allergies, asthma, and autism — it's all connected."  Her support for a controversial theory led Katie's parents to issue a public repudiation stating, "Katie Wright is not a spokesperson for Autism Speaks. She is our daughter and we love her very much. Many of Katie's personal views differ from ours and do not represent or reflect the ongoing mission of Autism Speaks."

Friendship grand marshal raising money for autism research - For most 11-year-olds, being the center of attention during a community's parade would be an opportunity to showcase themselves. For Rhiannon Stringer, being the parade marshal for Friday's Childrens' Parade during the 32nd annual Bourbonnais Friendship Festival represents the opportunity to spread the word about autism. "I don't care mostly about myself. I care about other kids," she said. "Anything to help autism -- not just for Joey -- is what I want to do." Joey is Rhiannon's 6-year-old brother. From the earliest days of his life, Joey has had to deal with what is described as severe autism. And from those earliest days, he has always had his sister at his side.

Ont. government must reveal cost of autism treatment lawsuit, says ... - The Ontario government spent another day in court Monday arguing why its legal bill for fighting an autism treatment lawsuit should stay secret, which means even more money has been wasted on lawyers rather than helping kids, the opposition said. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice heard arguments about a request under the province's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to reveal how much the government spent defending against a lawsuit filed by parents of autistic children.  Ontario's information and privacy commissioner had ordered that the total cost be released earlier this year, but the government launched a court challenge of that decision.

Parents, daughter clash on autism -  A year after their grandson Christian was diagnosed with autism in 2004, Bob Wright, the chairman of NBC/Universal, and his wife, Suzanne, founded Autism Speaks, a mega-charity dedicated to curing the neurological disorder that afflicts 1 of every 150 children in America today. The Wrights' venture was also an attempt to end the internecine warfare in the world of autism — where some are convinced the disorder is genetic and best treated with intensive therapy, and others blame preservatives in vaccinations and swear by supplements and diet to cleanse the body of heavy metals. With its high-powered board, world-class scientific advisers and celebrity fund-raisers such as Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Simon, the charity was a powerful voice, especially in Washington. It also made strides toward its goal of unity by merging with three existing autism organizations and raising millions of dollars for research into all potential causes and treatments. The Wrights call it the "big tent" approach. But now the fissures in the autism community have made their way into the Wright family, where father and daughter are not speaking after a public battle with themes familiar to thousands of families with autistic children.

Professional journals aid scientific understanding - In David Ayoub's letter, "Vaccination programs not always beneficial" (SN 6/18), he would like the reader to believe he is an unbiased doctor protesting the "one-sided propaganda" surrounding the debate about the safety of vaccines. The reality is his letter itself is one-sided propaganda. What Dr. Ayoub does not reveal in his letter is he is the director of the Prairie Collaborative for Immunization Safety, which is a lobbying organization. He also is the medical director of the Foundation for Autism Information and Research Inc., a group that publicizes the alleged links between vaccines and mercury. Dr. Ayoub does not seem so impartial now, does he? Additionally, Dr. Ayoub does not provide any evidence for his claim that "the link to vaccines and autism is undeniable." Dr. Ayoub is a self-proclaimed expert in this field, although he is specifically trained as a radiologist.

Stimulating senses for autism - The statistics are alarming -- one out of every 150 children will be diagnosed with some form of autism, which affects a child's ability to communicate. Many autistic children become overwhelmed or overstimulated very quickly. Some schools are equipping themselves to meet the sensory needs of their special students.  Jerome Shanaway, 6, is a happy kid with a sweet face. His mom, Gale, said that more than makes up for the times when his emotions take over. "He just kind of takes off like the Tasmanian devil," Gale said. "He takes off and whirls through the house. You can see sometimes, when he loses control on his face, he's not sure what's going on."  That is the mystery of autism. No one is sure what causes it. No one knows why some with the disorder are overwhelmed by touch, sound or light.

Structure of protein altered in autism revealed - As a result of mapping the structure of the protein complex implicated in autism spectrum disorders, a research team led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has discovered how particular genetic mutations affect this complex and contribute to the developmental abnormalities found in children with autism. Their work, published as the cover article in the June issue of the journal Structure, should help scientists pinpoint the consequences of other genetic abnormalities associated with the disorder.  "By understanding the three-dimensional structure of the normal protein, researchers can now make predictions about how mutations in the gene affect the structure of the gene product," said first author Davide Comoletti, Ph.D., UCSD research associate at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy.  Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disabilities that cause impairments in social interaction and communication. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, interpersonal relationships, and leisure or play activities.

Study To Search For More Answers On Autism Subject - A research study that may provide hope of finding an effective, alternative intervention for children with autism who do not respond to Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI), is being conducted under the leadership of McMaster University.  The study is designed to determine if participation in a functional behavioural skills program provided by therapists in one-on-one and group settings, and additional training for parents, will help those children who are not responding well to IBI.  While IBI is an effective treatment for many children with autism - a severe neurological disorder - it is extremely expensive and there are long waiting lists for the provincially funded programs. IBI for children at the severe end of the autism spectrum has been funded across Ontario since 2000. Recent research has shown that while many children improve, a substantial proportion of children in treatment do not make any significant gains in cognitive ability or behaviour, despite 20 to 40 hours weekly of therapy, at a cost of about $60,000 a year.  It is estimated that one in about 165 children in Canada is afflicted with some degree of autism spectrum disorder, which results in extreme difficulties in communicating, socializing and behaving, as well as severe developmental delays in some.

The autism conspiracy -  I take a keener interest in the autism-vaccine conspiracy nonsense, now that I'm taking my very young son to the doctors every few months for his shots. It bothers me no end that not every parent does the same, and that some are stubbornly clinging to the discredited notion that autism is caused by non-existent mercury-containing vaccines. Absent anything original to add to the debate, I recommend a column by Apoorva Mandavilli, which the editors of Nature have seen fit to make freely available to one and all. Here's a bit of what she has to say: I sympathize with these parents and can understand their need to find a reason for their children's suffering. But I trust in science, and I can't ignore the fact that so many peer-reviewed studies -- and every scientific panel entrusted with evaluating those studies -- has come to the same conclusion: neither the MMR vaccine nor thimerosal is associated with autism.

Victim's mother pleads for witnesses - The mother of a 35-year-old man found fatally stabbed beside a busy road on Sydney's northern beaches has made an emotional plea for witnesses to come forward. Police found Gerard Fleming lying on a footpath on Pittwater Road near Narrabeen shopping centre about 11.30pm on Saturday night. He had multiple stab wounds and later died in Royal North Shore Hospital. "I've lost my beautiful boy," his mother Margaret Fleming tearfully told reporters outside the Dee Why police station today. ..."We haven't established a motive for the offence at this time," Insp Arthurs also said. "Hopefully we'll be able to use all of the information obtained to put this jigsaw puzzle together." The dead man had Asperger's Syndrome, a condition linked to autism.

Vietnam vets 'pass on mental problems' - Vietnam veterans are passing on post traumatic stress disorder to their children and grandchildren in the form of behavioural and anxiety disorders, a university academic says. Queensland University of Technology PhD student Ken O'Brien said not enough research had been done on how the traumas of war were being passed on to children via parenting styles, social factors and even genetics. Mr O'Brien, who is from the university's School of Social Change Research and is the son of a Vietnam veteran, is studying the phenomenon, which he says is widespread. He said it was causing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, Asperger's syndrome and depressive and anxiety conditions in children and grandchildren.

Who are the denialists? (Part IV) - t's time to talk about the anti-vaccine (or anti-vax) denialists. Considering the Autism Omnibus trial is underway to decide whether or not parents of autistic children can benefit from the vaccine-compensation program, a fund designed to compensate those who have had reactions to vaccines and shield vaccine makers from the civil suits which drove them out of the country in the early 1980s. I think it's topical and necessary to set the record straight about vaccines, their risks, and many benefits. To do this though, we'll have to talk about the history of and resistance to vaccination, the history of autism and the current alleged epidemic of autism, and the denialist arguments used by the anti-vaxxers to suggest that vaccines are linked to the disorder.

"ASHES, ASHES..." - We are all familiar with the nursery rhyme, “Ring around the rosy…” that was actually about the bubonic plague during the dark ages. A recent study in Maine would seem to indicate that we are in the midst or a new plague. This one does not come from rats or fleas and is not the normal pathogen.-it is from toxic chemicals! A study conducted by the Alliance for a clean and healthy Maine just issued the result of a study that tested volunteers for the presence of toxic chemicals in the body. The study found that some 36 toxic substances were in the volunteers. Above normal amounts of chemicals such as mercury, PBDEs (a fire retardant), PFCs, and BPA, lead, arsenic and mercury were found. Where did some of these toxic chemical come from? Try carpets, nail polish, beauty products, sofas, and water bottles, your TV, shower curtain and Teflon skillets. Several of those tested were avid eaters of organic foods and led a healthy lifestyle but still exhibited high levels of the toxins.

Autism Case Goes To Court - If won, this case could pave the way for thousands of others but right now the family who filed suit is only concerned about their daughters well being.  A hearing is now underway, examining a possible link between childhood vaccinations and autism. A family claims their daughter was not always severely autistic. They say after getting a measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine she came down with a fever and was never the same. The girl has been severely autistic since.  Doctors claim a preservative used in kids vaccines weakened her immune system and kept her from fighting off the measles virus, leaving her with autism. Vaccine maker, Phrma disagrees and says studies have been done and there is no significant proof.  This is the first autism case to be taken up in federal court.

Autism Claims Go To Washington Court - Thousands of families who allege that routine childhood vaccinations caused their children's autism will get their day in court.  The first of what eventually could be nine test cases was the subject of a hearing that begins Monday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington.  Three special masters appointed by the court will preside over the hearing, which is expected to continue through the end of June. More than 4,800 families have filed claims with the government over their children's autism.

BE WELL - Autism caught them unaware - The Taylors' son, Joshua, was just over a year old when they started to notice changes that made them uncomfortable. "When he was about a year and three months, he stopped saying one or two words and became withdrawn. When I came home (from work) he wouldn't run to me, then I would sit beside him and he would continue playing. It got to the stage where he sat by himself, (as if) unaware of what was around him," said Joshua's mother Michelle Taylor. Joshua had reached all the usual developmental milestones for babies and when the changes started to be noticed, as Michelle explained, they didn't "hit you at once, but you would just notice that oh, he is not doing this or that; we thought it was a speech defect".

Bellini's book named Literary Work of the Year by Autism Society ... - The Autism Society of America, The Autism Society of America, a national organization advocating for autism research and services, recognized Building Social Relationships by Scott Bellini as its 2007 Literary Work of the Year. Bellini is the assistant director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, part of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at Indiana University. Building Social Relationships outlines a strategic process for recognizing and addressing social skills deficits based on the most current research on individuals with autism. Using real-world examples, Bellini describes common areas of difficulty and effective methods of teaching these skills. He distinguishes between skills deficits (knowing how to do something) and performance deficits (applying the learned skill) and discusses ways to help children bridge the gap between ability and action. The book can be used by parents, educators and clinicians to design individualized plans as well as group training programs.  The ASA awards, which were announced June 8, recognize contributions to autsim awareness, education and advocacy. "Through their talents and time, these honorees have made a difference in improving the lives of all affected by autism, and our ASA community thanks them," the organization said in their announcement.  a national organization advocating for autism research and services, recognized Building Social Relationships by Scott Bellini as its 2007 Literary Work of the Year.

Crown argues autism lawsuit is not a case of public interest - A Superior Court judge took issue yesterday with a Crown lawyer's contention that the public has no interest in a class action lawsuit filed by five families who claim the province is violating the Charter rights of their autistic children. The province and seven school boards are seeking $85,000 in legal costs from the families under "loser pay" rules after Justice Maurice Cullity struck out portions of their claim in March. Although those rules seldom apply in cases of public interest, the families' lawsuit doesn't hold special significance for the larger community, Crown counsel Robert Charney argued yesterday. "That's the position of your client, the government of Ontario?" asked Cullity. "That the public has no legitimate concern or interest in the degree the Charter protects vulnerable and disadvantaged people?" "I'm saying the outcome does not have a special, specific significance beyond" the families involved in the case, Charney said. Lynn Shane is suing on behalf of her son, Adam, 7, who has to miss classes and travel to Burlington for treatment programs, a problem their lawsuit seeks to redress.

Defective Product May Cause Autism - The US Court of Federal Claims will hear testimony today that a defective product may cause autism. Several thousand parents of autistic children will be presenting their testimony and evidence to a Federal Claims Court so that they may be compensated for defective vaccinations which have caused the lives of their children to be torn apart by autism. Fortunately there appears to be compensation on the horizon for these families, however, unfortunately it appears that legislation was passed to protect the drug manufacturers who produce these vaccines.

Doctors React to Cases Against Vaccines - The U.S. Court of Federal Claims is weighing cases on whether immunizations potentially cause autism. But, what do doctors say about these cases?  The link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism has been hotly debated for many years.  Carmen B. Pingree School for Children with Autism Clinical Director P. Brent Petersen says he can find over a dozen studies saying vaccines do not cause autism. However, he says there aren't any studies that completely clear vaccines of blame. "I think that the vast preponderance of the evidence would show that there is not a connection," he says.  Petersen adds, "There may be, on occasion, a child who seems to be affected by the immunizations." Petersen says it's more dangerous to not immunize your child.

Federal court examining link of autism to vaccine - Every parent who suspects routine childhood vaccines caused their child’s autism has been waiting for this moment. Not to mention a few large drug companies, some influential politicians and a host of health professionals and school districts.  The case of a 12-year-old autistic girl, whose parents believe was poisoned by the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, began yesterday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. About 4,800 families could end up being compensated in the domino effect of a decision that goes their way.

FPG Receives $8 Million For Autism Research - Two of the most often-used classroom approaches for teaching young children with autism have never been evaluated, until now. With a $3 million federal grant, FPG Child Development Institute (FPG) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will soon begin answering questions about the programs' efficacy.  Another $5 million federal grant will establish a national autism professional development center, which will help states incorporate effective practices for children with autism in classrooms, homes and communities.  Autism is characterized by impairment in communication skills, social interactions and repetitive patterns of behavior. In the past two decades the number of children diagnosed with autism has sky-rocketed 20 fold by some estimates. This rapid increase has placed great demand on early intervention and education agencies to provide effective educational and intervention services for children and their families.  "Research shows that if we intervene early, we can greatly enhance the lives of children with autism. This new work will help ensure not only that children are diagnosed as early as possible, but that when they are diagnosed they receive the most effective treatment by professionals who are prepared and knowledgeable," said Samuel L. Odom, FPG director and principal investigator for both grants.

First National Program Launched To Combat Divorce Rates In Autism ... - Today the National Autism Association (NAA) announced the launching of its Family First Program, a comprehensive national marital counseling program to combat divorce rates within the autism community. The new initiative offers couples with autistic children immediate access to marital counseling, and a grant program for those unable to afford it. Caring for an autistic child often can result in marital hardship and isolation, but with the help of OnDemand services, couples don't have to leave their home to seek guidance. "Many couples have a difficult time going to counseling due to limited childcare options," says parent and NAA Executive Director Rita Shreffler. "We partnered with the OnDemand company Luminent Counseling so that couples have access to trained, certified therapists without needing to leave their home." - UK

Girl, 11, publishes book - To write a book at any age is quite an accomplishment. Having a book published at the age of 11 is pretty extraordinary. One special little girl has done just that. Heather Higgins is like any other fourth grader. She's a girl scout, and loves to dance.
Heather is also adopted and has written a book about her experience called "The Foal That Doesn't Have a Family." Heather said, "I wrote it to show other kids that if they have to go into adoption it should be fun and not scary."

Leading Harvard Scientist conducts education programme on autism - Healthcare leaders, scientists, and top doctors from the Gulf region participated in the 'Autism Spectrum Disorder,' programme held at Dubai's Grand Hyatt Hotel.  Dr. Muhadditha Al Hashimi, CEO, Dubai Healthcare City, said: 'As the leading centre in the Middle East for excellence in medical services, education, and life science research and development, we organised this programme to increase awareness of autism. The programme discussed the latest research findings and steps to assist healthcare professionals in offering better care to those affected by this disease.'  Robert Thurer, MD, Chief Academic Officer of HMSDC and Executive Director of the Foundation, said: 'We are currently witnessing an explosion in knowledge and understanding of autism, including the genetic basis for the disease. At the same time, there is a critical need to provide today's doctors with clues to diagnose and treat the growing number of children with autism. This is a perfect example of the importance of linking laboratory research with clinical practice.'

Loner stabbed nurse 70 times - A loner who loved to play violent computer games stabbed to death a nurse while she had a cigarette break, the Old Bailey was told yesterday. Stuart Harling, 19, acted out his murderous fantasy when he launched a "frenzied" attack on Cheryl Moss, an assistant nurse, stabbing her more than 70 times, the jury was told. He crept up on her in the car park of an east London hospital stabbing and slashing her in the head, face, neck and chest. Mrs Moss, 33, was defenceless and had no chance to scream for help, the prosecution said. After striking, the killer fled and her body was found face down on a path by a person walking a dog near St George's Hospital, Hornchurch, on April 6 last year. Harling, a trainee accountant, of Rainham, Essex, later admitted that he had killed Mrs Moss. However, he claimed that he suffered from Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - and was mentally ill at the time suffering from a schizoid disorder, the court heard.

Mother describes problems in vaccine-autism test case - In excruciating detail, an Arizona mother described Monday the severe autism and devastating health problems of her 12-year-old daughter and asked a court to find that childhood vaccines were the cause. The test case is being closely watched by nearly 5,000 families of autistic children who have lodged similar claims. The case of Michelle Cedillo of Yuma, Ariz., is the first alleging a vaccine-autism link to be heard in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. It and eight other test cases are important because they will guide the handling of the other pending claims. Most contend that a mercury-rich preservative called thimerosal is to blame for the impaired social interaction typical of the disorder.

NAMI offers new resource for parents - Parents of children with mental illness sometimes face situations they can't handle, at times when help is not readily available.  The National Alliance for Mental Illness of Washington County believes its new Vision for Tomorrow workshop program can help fill this gap by providing families and other primary caregivers with training they can fall back on in times of crisis, coupled with a reference tool with well researched information.

There’s No Graduation Joy for Mom; Autistic Son Has Scant Future Hope -  As Middle Township High School prepares for commencement this Friday, and many families prepare to celebrate, one mother was incensed to receive a letter informing her that her son, Nick, would graduate. Cynthia Allen of this community told the Herald June 7 that letter served only to add insult to injury because Nicholas Aquilino, 18, “has severe autism, is non-verbal, and suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She claimed that the school district, “for part of the year has not provided any services at all” for her son, who remains at home with a her and a paid care-giver. “The mother should never have received those types of communications,“ said District Superintendent Michael Kopakowski.

Parents won't have to pay for autism-funding suit - A group of families with autistic children who launched a lawsuit against the Ontario government and seven school boards won't have to hand over $85,000 in legal costs to the province, an Ontario judge has ruled. There was nothing "frivolous" or "vexatious" about the $1.25-billion lawsuit, Mr. Justice Maurice Cullity noted in his decision released yesterday, adding that it would have been "unjust" to penalize the families by ordering them to pay the costs. / Canada

Researchers reveal structure of protein altered in autism - As a result of mapping the structure of the protein complex implicated in autism spectrum disorders, a research team led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has discovered how particular genetic mutations affect this complex and contribute to the developmental abnormalities found in children with autism. Their work, published as the cover article in the June issue of the journal Structure, should help scientists pinpoint the consequences of other genetic abnormalities associated with the disorder. “By understanding the three-dimensional structure of the normal protein, researchers can now make predictions about how mutations in the gene affect the structure of the gene product,” said first author Davide Comoletti, Ph.D., UCSD research associate at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy. Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disabilities that cause impairments in social interaction and communication. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, interpersonal relationships, and leisure or play activities.

Responsible remedy - Recently, there has been news regarding Andrew Speaker, the man who boarded an airplane despite his tuberculosis diagnosis Passengers on board are still being tested and, as of yet, no new cases have been reported. The scare it has caused, however, is affecting people all over the world.  Cases like these are constant reminders of the fact that diseases out there still exist, and with the ways people can travel to so many places and come in contact with thousands of people is just another reminder that getting vaccinated is one of the most important things a parent can do for their child and themselves.

Support systems exist to help autistic adults - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that one in every 150 children in this country has an autism spectrum disorder. While this statistic has caused much concern and focused attention on the education and treatment of children with autism, it also means that in the coming decades there will be more adults with the disorder than ever before. Most adults with autism require some level of specialized services and support. The goal of these services is to help these adults enjoy a high quality of life with as much independence as possible. Because autism is a "spectrum" disorder that affects each person differently, services need to be individualized.

Vaccine Related Autism Cases Killed in Press - When it comes to the press, the near 5000 parents suggesting vaccines were the cause of their child's autism and who are seeking compensation from a federal vaccine fund, have a better chance of getting Paris Hilton elected as president in 2008 than they do getting their stories told without bias in the news. It was late Saturday night when I noticed the first 50 or so articles appearing on Google News, related to hearings that began on Monday, involving parents of autistic children that believe vaccinations are the cause of their child's disorder.

Woman takes cash from autistic teenager - A woman ushered an autistic teenager down an alleyway and tricked her into handing over money in a 25-minute ordeal. The confused and frightened 19-year-old was bullied into walking to a cash machine and made to withdraw £250. Her upset parents – who say they have been left feeling guilty they weren't with her in Preston city centre – today appealed for help to catch the callous thief. The girl, who has Asperger's Syndrome – a form of autism – was approached on Orchard Street and ushered down Lowthian Street and badgered for money. Police say she was "very confused and frightened although no direct threats were made."